Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever is the #1 registered dog with the AKC as well as the #1 dog in America for hunting. This popularity is not surprising because this dog is extremely smart, it wants to please its owner, and it adapts well to its surroundings. All of these factors have contributed to its popularity with search and rescue activities, with drug and bomb detection units, and of course with the seeing-eye dog programs. Our focus at Kirby Mountain Sporting Dogs is primarily companion/hunting labs. Our labs can join you and your family in hunting, hiking, swimming, or whatever outdoor activity you’re interested in along with being well adapted member of the family in your home. We have built our Labrador Retriever breeding program from the greatest champions of the field trial game (see Labrador Retriever Lines below). The reason for this is twofold: 1 – these labs are extremely smart with uncanny trainability and 2 – these labs are exceedingly sound physically. We are very proud of our Labradors and believe one would fit well into your lifestyle.

Physical Attributes/HealthOur labs are medium sized: 50 – 60 lb. females and 65 – 85 lb. males. All of our breeding stock, male and female, have been OFA’d and CERF’d. If we have any problems, whether it is hips, eyes, temperament or trainability, we do not repeat the breeding. Our lab breeding program produces all three colors of the Labrador Retriever: black, yellow, and chocolate. Currently we are producing about 60% black, 30% yellow, and 10% chocolate. The black lab is the strongest gene pool, trains easily, and has the least health problems. Our yellow and chocolate labs are from a strong black pedigree and are as sound as our blacks.

Temperament/TrainabilityOur lab breeding stock has also had extensive training in obedience and in the field. About 50% of the puppies born here come back for months of training. This is a tremendous screening tool for us to see how our breeding program is working. Our labs do all the conventional tasks such as hunting upland birds, ducks, and geese, as well as hike, boat, bike, run, and baby sit the kids! They also do much harder tasks such as help guide professionally many weeks of the year and chase nuisance geese off golf courses and cemeteries. These dogs are a very versatile breed.